Henry "Red" Allen (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was a prominent jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader whose career spanned several decades, primarily throughout the heyday of early jazz and swing music. Born in the cradle of jazz, New Orleans, Louisiana, Allen came from a musical family; his father, Henry Allen, Sr., was a noted brass band leader and his mother played the bass drum. He quickly established himself as a formidable talent, joining King Oliver's band in 1927 and later performing with the likes of Fletcher Henderson's orchestra, which was a breeding ground for future jazz legends.

Allen's vivacious trumpet style blended the brassy flourishes of New Orleans jazz with the more urban sophistication of Chicago and New York scenes. During the 1930s and 1940s, Red Allen recorded with a litany of jazz greats, including Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, and Billie Holiday. He led several of his own bands as well, and was known for his versatility, able to play both in the swing style and in the freer forms that would eventually evolve into bebop. Through the changing tides of jazz, Allen's playing remained innovative and was characterized by a signature wide vibrato, an expressive use of mutes, and an adventurous improvisational spirit. Though his career waned in the 1950s, he experienced a resurgence in the traditional jazz revival of the 1960s. Allen's influence was profound and can be heard in the lineage of jazz trumpeters that followed him. His legacy is captured in numerous recordings, some of which have been reissued and remastered for new generations of listeners to appreciate the enduring artistry of Henry "Red" Allen.

Genres

Jazz Trumpet

New Orleans Jazz

Latest Release

In The Chapel In The Moonlight

Henry "Red" Allen

Single - Released August 15, 2023